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Putin “walks” through Crimea a day after an international arrest warrant was issued against him

Putin's visit was a surprise, since the Russian president was initially scheduled to participate in the festivities via videoconference.  / Photo: AFP/Getty Images
Putin’s visit was a surprise, since the Russian president was initially scheduled to participate in the festivities via videoconference. / Photo: AFP/Getty Images

Photo: MIKHAIL METZEL/SPUTNIK/AFP/Getty Images

The opinion

By: The opinion Posted Mar 18, 2023, 20:30 pm EDT

One day after the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued a arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putinfor war crimes the Russian president traveled to the Crimea region to celebrate a commemorative act.

According to the Russian news agency RT, the president Vladimir Putin went to Crimea this Saturday on the occasion of the 9th anniversary of the reunificationn of the region with Russia, which occurred in 2014.

During your visit, Putin visited the Chersonese Historical and Archaeological Park, which includes the Korsun children’s center and a children’s art school. Sevastopol Governor Mikhail Razvozhaev participated in the presentation of the facility to Putin.

Governor Razvozhaev explained that Putin’s visit was a surprise, since the Russian president was initially scheduled to participate in the festivities via videoconference, but he got to the Crimea “at the wheel”. “On such a historic day, the president is always with Sebastopol and with the people of Sebastopol. Our country has an incredible leader!” he stressed.

RT highlights that during this day festivities are held in the peninsula to commemorate this historic event. The celebration began with a car rally that started in the city of Simferopol and will end on Mount Gasforta, near Sevastopol, where a festive program will be organized. They are also planned photo exhibitions, sports competitions and concerts in cities of the Crimean peninsula.

He treaty on the reunification of Crimea with Russia was signed on March 18, 2014 and entered into force on March 21 of that same year after being ratified by the Russian Federal Assembly.

They assure that Putin limped during his visit to Crimea

Anton Gerashchenko, adviser to the Ukrainian Interior Minister, posted on Twitter a video of Putin in which he claimed that the Russian leader was “visibly limping” during your visit.

“A Putin visibly lame arrived in occupied Crimea. Russian sources report Putin’s visit to Sevastopol to “celebrate” the anniversary of the annexation of Crimea. Which, by the way, will be one of the items on Putin’s list of charges in the Hague Tribunal,” Gerashchenko wrote on Saturday.

A visibly limping Putin arrived in occupied Crimea

Russian sources report Putin’s visit to Sevastopol to “celebrate” the anniversary of the annexation of Crimea

Which, by the way, will be one of the items on Putin’s list of accusations at The Hague Court. pic.twitter.com/XPJDGqvT9e

— Anton Gerashchenko (@Gerashchenko_en) March 18, 2023

Putin’s health has been questioned in recent monthss. Social media users and analysts have tried to interpret images of him limping across Red Square, clinging to his desk and displaying a listless right arm.

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